Method



Nov. 20 1923., 1,474,943

E. F. QUINN METHOD OF MAKING GAME BALLS Filed Aug. 29 1921 AT OR/VEYS.

Patented Nov. 20, 1923.

, UNITED STATES EDWARD F. QUINN, OF CHICOPEE, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF IEAKING GAIVI'E BALLS.

Application filed August 29, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EnwAnn F. QUiNN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohioopee, in the county or Hampden and State Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Methods of Making Game Balls, oi which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to cores or centers {01' balls, and while the invention is particularly adapted for baseballs, yet it can be advantageously availed of for making golf, polo, squash, hand and other balls.

The invention embodies the method of inakii'ig game balls, and, also, the resulting product, which may, if desired, be used directly as a bounding or similar rubber ball.

The best grades of baseballs, and particularly those used by professionals, embody a core or center of cork, or siinilar material, encased in rubber. In making such cores, it is customary to form in a suitable mold, two hollow rubber hemispheres, which, during the process of manufacture, are semicured, i. e., partially vulcanized. The edge of each hemisphere must be carefully buiied and shaped, so that the parts interlit to a nicety, whereupon the cork center is placed therein. The spherical edges of the hemispheres having had a rubber cement applied thereto, they are pressed together, encasing the cork center, and thereafter the assembled parts cured in the customary steam mold.

The manufacturing process thus described is a comparatively slow one, requiring several essential operations, all of which, and particularly the butting, must be carefully performed. Notwithstanding this, however, the loss from imperfect parts, and also from waste material, is very considerable. Moreover, the resulting core or center has a seam or joint, at the juncture of the hemispheres, from which a fin projects in the molded article. The joint not only detracts from the strength and homogeneity of the core but the fin must be removed in a sanding machine.

The present invention dispenses with several of the steps referred to, and, also, overcomes the disadvantages adverted to, and others, both from commercial and technical standpoints, and embodies a simple, expeditious, economical and efficient method of operation, resulting in an article pronouncedly superior to similar articles made by existing processes.

Serial No. 496,220.

Speaking generally, applicants preferred method, in its entirety, consists in making a tube, 0t proper gage and weight, on any Iorm of well known machine, from commonly employed compound rubber stock which has been thoroughly mixed and milled. This tube, the size of which naturally depends on the size and weight of the rubber core to be produced, is then cut into measured lengths of proper inside and outside gage, as well as weig it. The spherical piece of cork or similar core, of a size to fit snugly, is then inserted within and centrally of the tube, its exact position being fixed by gages, whereupon the ends of the tube are flowed or con'ipressed around the cork, the plasticity of the compound readily lending itself to this operation. The assembled parts are placed in a twopiece cavity mold, of well known construction and cured to the desired extent under conditions of operation well known to the art. If desired, the mold may be provided with a suitable bleed or overflow cavity, to permit the eli'lux of any excess of rubber stock, which might overweigh the resulting ball. The resulting article requires only slight butting but, if desired, may be rumbled in a sand paper lined barrel to impart to it any suitable degree of smoothness.

It will be noted that the process dispenses with the making of separate parts, including their semi-vulcanization, the bufing of the edges thereof, the necessity of cementing said parts together, etc., all troublesome and expensive operations, and, not infrequently, resulting in imperfect parts which must be scraped, as well as in non-market able cores. Accordingly, the present invention is not only simpler than the process now used, but is more economical, expeditious and, almost unfailingly, results in a. superior article.

The accompanying drawings illustrate, more or less, diagrammatically, the salient novel operations described, incident to carrying out the preferred method of the present invention.

Figure 1 shows a rubber tube made from any well known composition of compound rubber stock.

Figure 2 is a single length or section of the tube such as is employed in carrying out the present invention, cut from the tube of Figure 1 on dotted line 2-2, appearing thereon, and showing the cork insert in dotted lines.

Figure 3 shows the cork center or insert in full lines positioned in the tube length.

Figure l shows the cork with the cork insert, after the ends of the tube have been compressed or flowed around the same and in condition to be placed in the two part mold for curing; and

Fig ire 5 shows the completed article after vulcanization.

Referring to the drawings, tube 1, having been cut into lengths 3, the cork core 4 is positioned centrally thereof as shown in Figure 3. The ends of the tube are then compressed or flowed, preferably by hand, around the cork, resulting in the article graphically illustrated in ri 'ure 4-, having the cork center 4 and the vulcanized rubber casing 5, into which tube section 3 has been transformed. This article is then inserted in a two-piere mold, and the single and only curing or vulcanizing operation carried out. The resulting article may, or may not, be finished as hereinbefore described.

It will be understood that the process outlined may be modified in details, or by the substitution of equivalent operations, or by using some of the steps of the process without necessarily employing them all, or by using parts of, or even the complete process, in conjunction with others, or in other environments, without departing from the spirit or substance of the invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

In practice, it has been found to facilitate the encasing of the cork or similar cores within the tubes, to produce two or more slits in the ends of the separated tubes, as they assist quite materially in the kneading or flowing of the rubber compound in the operation of sealing the ends of the tubes. The slitting is preferably effected prior to inserting the core within the tube.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In the art of making game balls, the method which consists in inserting a. spherical core of cork within a homogeneous, one piece plastic tube, closing the ends of the tube by compressing or flowing the plastic material around the cork insert and thereafter curing or vulcanizing the thus assembled article.

2. In the art of making game balls, the method which consists in centralizing a suitable core within an open ended tube of homogeneous plastic material, then closing the ends of the tube by compressing said ends about the core, whereby the latter is encased within the plastic compound and thereafter vulcanizing said compound.

In the art of making game balls, the method which consists in taking a tube of suitable length composed of hon'iogeneous rubber compound, centralizing a round core intermediate the ends of the tube, then closing the ends by inturning the same and compacting the material completely around the core and then vulcanizing the casing in a suitable heated mold.

at. In the art of making game balls, the

method Whiz'h consists in placing a cork core in a tube of unvulcanized homogeneous rubber compound, flowing the material forming the ends of the tube around said core so as to completely encase the same and thereafter vulcanizing said casing. 53. In the art of making game balls, the method which consists in inserting a. spherical core of cork within a plastic tube, slitting the ends of the tube, then closing the ends of the tube by compressing or flowing the plastic material around the cork insert and thereafter curing or vulr-anizing the thus assembled article.

6. In the art of making game balls, the method which consists in placmg a cork core in a tube having slitted ends and composed of unvulcanized rubber compound, flowing the material forming the ends of the tube around said core so as to completely encase the same ant. thereafter vulranizing said casing.

In testimony whereof I have signed the foregoing specification,

EDWARD F. QUINN. 

